Nammalvar
Topic: Bhakti and Sufi Traditions · NCERT: Class 12, Ch 2 "Bhakti-Sufi Traditions"
Meaning
Nammalvar is the most celebrated of the twelve Alvars, the Tamil saints "immersed" in devotion to Vishnu. He lived c. 9th century and came from a non-Brahmana family in Tamil Nadu. His name means "our Alvar". His poems give Vishnu worship a deep and personal voice in Tamil. They also show that a person from outside the Brahmana caste could become a great religious teacher.
Example
His long poem Tiruvaymoli ("sacred word") forms a major part of the Nalayira Divyaprabandham ("Four Thousand Sacred Compositions"), which was compiled in the 10th century. This collection was called the "Tamil Veda", a claim that it was as holy as the Sanskrit Vedas.
Don't confuse with
- Nayanars: the 63 Tamil saints who worshipped Shiva. The Alvars, including Nammalvar, worshipped Vishnu.
Related concepts
- Alvars
- Nayanars
- Nalayira Divya Prabandham
- Tevaram
- Appar
- Sambandar
- Sundarar
- Manikkavachakar
- Tondaradippodi
- Andal